Headlight loom .. lost side lights??

[steve @ 0]

I ve just fitted an uprated headlight loom .. dip and main beam are now great. Only I ve lost my side lights, dip beam now comes on, on both positions on the light switch. Anyone have this happen before?

I had a quick search but couldnt find much info ..

[Niges16V 0]

You need to disable the 'dim dip' by disconnecting the big resistor - passenger wing I think, yellow & black wire ?? Theres loads on it other threads.

[JBOB 0]

This is the fitting instructions I got from Gavin (H100VW) Whn I got mine from him. Might help you out :D

 

 

Fitting instructions for uprated wiring loom.

 

If you don’t normally lift the bonnet of your Volkswagen, you may wish to get the assistance of the person who does.

 

Using a 10mm spanner disconnect both battery leads. From the wiring loom connect the two ring terminals to the corresponding battery clamp under the 10mm nut. The lead with the fuses is the positive. It is a good idea to clean up the battery terminals, clamps etc to ensure a good contact is made. A wire brush or a piece of wet or dry is usually pretty good for this.

 

The two relays should now be mounted onto the inner wing next to the battery. Self-tappers for mk 1s and mk 2s have a couple of captive bolts that can be used with a bit of imagination. The battery may need to be moved slightly to create some space (13mm socket).

 

The two new headlight connectors should be routed to the headlights. The offside one should go along the front of the car under the radiator following the existing loom, using the original clips where possible. On mk 2s the offside connector can be routed under the bonnet slam panel by dropping forward the grille. Care should be taken to minimise the risk of the loom chaffing on the radiator fan etc.

 

Once routed to the lights, the new connectors replace the existing ones and the three red male blades should be inserted into the original nearside headlight connector. White to white, yellow to yellow and brown to brown.

 

Now that all the connections are made, the battery leads can be reconnected and tightened up. Care should be taken not to over tighten and crush the clamps.

 

Be prepared for the alarm to go off when reconnecting the battery.

 

Time for a test to confirm everything is working correctly.

 

If the car has a dim-dip facility i.e. the headlights come on dimly at the same time as the sidelights. The dim-dip will need to be disconnected. This is fitted to most, post ’88 cars. At the front right hand side of the engine compartment you will find the series resistor, it looks like a coil about 10cm long. Disconnect the yellow and the yellow and black wires and insulate them.

 

Possible faults that may occur.

 

If the high beam warning light comes on with dipped headlights, then the yellow and white signal wires should be reversed.

 

If the lights stay on after turning them off at the switch, percussion adjustment of the relays may be required.

[steve @ 0]

Ok, cheers guys i'll give that a go 8)

[Toad 0]

I've been thinking about this recently. Why do the dim dip lights come on? Surely they're connected through a seperate part of the loom that runs through the resistor and to the lights?

 

I've seen everyone advised to disconnect the resistor, but I don't understand why??

[davidwort 0]

I've been thinking about this recently. Why do the dim dip lights come on? Surely they're connected through a seperate part of the loom that runs through the resistor and to the lights?

 

I've seen everyone advised to disconnect the resistor, but I don't understand why??

 

The current is enough to trip your relay into switching on. So you get dip beam on the sidelights setting. It's because you use the main feed to the lights as the switching feed for you relay.

[Toad 0]

But I thought the dim dip had it's own seperate connection to the lamps.

 

Does the resistor connect into the dip beam loom between the headlamp connector and the light switch then?

[Toad 0]

The colours are....

 

Yellow = dip beam

White = Main beam

Grey/red = sidelight

Brown = earth

 

I'm assuming that 'sidelight' is the dim dip.

[davidwort 0]

But I thought the dim dip had it's own seperate connection to the lamps.

 

Does the resistor connect into the dip beam loom between the headlamp connector and the light switch then?

 

sidelight is a separate small bulb, dim dip uses a feed through the resistor to the dip beam element of the main bulb, this is why using your dip beam feed to the bulb from the back of the headlight causes the relay to trip on sidelight setting, 'cause the dip beam feed is getting the low feed through the resistor.

Both dim dip and dip feeds end up at the same connector at the back of your lights.

[Toad 0]

Aha!! Thanks for clearing that up... So if the Dim-Dip resistor is removed, then on the sidelight setting only the small sidelight bulb will light?

 

I will need to connect this wire into my new loom then, I guess it can be a fairly small cable.

 

I'm planning on making up a new loom that will replace all three four wires accross the front of the car including new earths (from the lights to the chassis and the battery, slight overkill, but it should work well)

[davidwort 0]

Aha!! Thanks for clearing that up... So if the Dim-Dip resistor is removed, then on the sidelight setting only the small sidelight bulb will light?

 

I will need to connect this wire into my new loom then, I guess it can be a fairly small cable.

 

I'm planning on making up a new loom that will replace all three four wires accross the front of the car including new earths (from the lights to the chassis and the battery, slight overkill, but it should work well)

 

yep.

 

I've fitted 4 relays each with their own fuse, one for each side, main beam and dip with direct earths back to the battery. Works well and if a relay sticks I'll only loose lighting on one side. As they're under the bonnet I've fitted them in a screw lid box from Maplins, they still look perfect after 5 years, not like the green copper oxide I've seen on more and more cars with exposed relays and connectors.

You have to remember that on main beam the power is split to the main light main beam element and also the inner spot bulbs, if you use one relay that's a lot of current through one circuit, especially if you fit 100W main beam bulbs.

[Toad 0]

I hadn't thought about that extra load... Was only planning on using 2 relays. I've got a spare set of headlamp plugs I was going to wire in to keep it as neat as possible.

 

I suppose if I ran a legnth of 30 Amp rated cable across to the drivers side that ought to be man enough to power the drivers side lights....

 

Best order 2 more relays then.

 

My plan is to have the original plugs waterproofed and tucked out the way so if something went very wrong, I could just plug them back in.

[davidwort 0]

I eventually decided to cut into my loom on the power feeds to the lights, but I have fitted sheathed connectors that are male and female so I can easily by-pass the relays, you never know!

[Toad 0]

I've had a thought tonight. If you were to cut the wire from the relay to the original loom connector, and attach it to the new wiring loom, on the other side of the relay, then the dim dips should work, I believe...